Suspenders



N. W. McCONNELL SUSPENDERS. APPLICATION FI'LED MAR. 13, 1918.

PatentedSept. 14,1920.

'glwventoz W. law/firmed NATHANIEL w. ivrccoimntnbr Presence, COLORADO.

SUSPENDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed March is, 1918. Serial No. 222,130.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, llATi-IANIEL 1V. Mo- CoNNnLL, a citizen of the United States, re siding at Florence, in the county of Frement and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suspenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in suspenders for trousers, and particularly to concealed suspenders ofthe type designed to be worn and concealed beneath the shirt.

The primary object of the invention is to provide conce'aled suspenders of this type which will give a-siX-point suspension like ordinary outside suspenders, but which at the same time will be concealed from view.

A further object of the invention is .to provide a construction of cast-0E which may be applied to ordinary outside suspenders to convert the same into inside or concealed suspenders.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view of a pair of suspenders provided with button-carrying and engaging members embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the buttoncarrying and engaging members.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View through the shank of the button and showing the construction of the part of the button-carrying and engaging member engaged therewith.

Fig. 4 is a view of a pair of suspenders showing a construction in which the front cast-offs are provided with a different form of button-engaging member.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing another form of button-engaging member.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawing, 1 designates a pair of suspenders of ordinary general construction, provided with the front and rear end portions 2 and 3, the front end portions being provided with the usual cast-offs 1 having terminal tabs 5 provided with button holes 6, and the rear end portions terminating in tabs 7 having button holes 8. The cast-offs 4 may be applied to the end portions 3 in any suitable manner for adjustment in the usual way.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a button-carrying and engaging device 9 for engagementwith the tabs 5 and 7 and thesuspender buttons upon the trousers. Each of these devices 9 comprises a connector formed of a single piece of wire, said connector being bent upon itself to form at one end a constricted button engaging loop 10, and thence having its side arms widened and longitudinally curved to provide an entrance space 11 to allow the device to be moved into and out of engagement with the head'of the Suspender button, for movement of the shank of the button into and out of engagement with the constricted shank engaging loop 10. At the opposite end of the connector from the loop 10 the free ends of the connector are crossed, as at 12, and thence semi-circularly bent or curved in opposite directions to form opposing spring jaws 13, which jaws tightly grip the shank 14 of a button 15 adapted for engagement with one of the tabs 5 or 7. 13y the i v described construction a wire connector is provided which has combined therewith a button 15, held normally in connection therewith against disconnection by the jaws 13, and adapted to be sold with the button as a complete article of'manufacture.

The tabs 5 and 7 are provided with connectors of the construction described, the buttons 15 of which connectors are engaged with the button holes 6 and 8 of the said tabs 5 and 7, thus providing the tabbed ends of the suspenders with detachable connectors, the wire members of which are ada ted to be pressed against the fabric of the s irt for engagement of the looped ends 10 of the connectors with the shirt and the suspension buttons upon the waistband of the trousers. In the use of a pair of suspenders provided with the connectors it is to be understood that the suspenders are worn underneath the shirt, the loops 10 being engaged with portions of the shirt and with the buttons at the usual point on the waistband of the trousers, which buttons upon the waistband of the trousers will be disposed on the inside of the waistband. By

may be so sold, although within the scope of the invention the connectors may be sold separately from the suspenders so that the purchasers may apply the same to a pair of ordinary suspenders.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing I have shown a modification of the construction, in which the front cast-offs 4c are provided with wire connectors 9" of a different construction, while the rear tabs 7 are provided with connectors 9 of the construction previously de scribed. The connectors 9 in this disclosure consist eachv of a single piece of wire bent to form a shirt fabric and button-err gaging loop 16 at one end thereof, a tab engaging loop 17 at the other end thereof, said loop 17 being formed by the free ends of V the wire, and an intermediate widened space 18 for the reception of the shirt fabric and passage ofthe head ofthe button with which the device is to be engaged. It will be understood that with this construction the connectors 9 are permanently engaged with tabs 5 which are folded upon themselves to form loops 19 in which the looped ends 17 of the connectors 9 are engaged and held, the folds of the tab being united by suitable'fastenings 20. With this construction the connectors are pressed against the shirt and the loops 16 thereof engaged with the shirt fabric and the buttons upon the front of the waistband of'the garment, the buttons 15 in this connection being dis- I pensed with.

H In Fig. 5 I have shown a form of button engaging member 9* for the front Suspender ends which is generally similar in construction to the member 9 except that the con tracted portions of the wire between the parts 17 and 18 are lengthened toform short straight portions engaged by a transconnected at one endwith a metallic loop 23 engaged with a looped adjustable portion of the suspender end, the free end of the strap being fastened to the body thereof by a suit,- able separable fastening, such as a spring stud 2 1 and socket 25.

It will be understood that as portions of the shirt are pressed against the trousers buttons and received and held in the connectors, when said connectors are engaged with the buttons, the connectors will also serve to hold the shirt tail down and prevent it from creeping up.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim;

Suspenders provided'with end portions having tabs formed with button holes, buttons provided with headed ends and having shanks passing through said button holes, and wire connectors having wire en gaging loops at one end, curved portions forming entrance spaces to said loops, and crossed portions at the opposite ends thereof extending on curved linescontinuous with the aforesaid curved portions, said crossed portions terminating in reversely' facing semi-circular spring jaws embracing the shanks of the buttons, said jaws being disposed between the suspender ends and certain heads of the buttons.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NATHANIEL W. MoCONN ELL. 

